LOFTY DETAILS | Cape May, NJ

FIBER & ACID...A Study in Digital and Analog Craft

The Spark: 

The concept for the Zephyr House was a dialogue between the precision of the machine and the soul of the human hand. We envisioned a home built with the efficiency of modern digital methods, which would then serve as a clean, quiet vessel for a collection of raw, tactile, and heavily crafted interior elements.

From Digital to Dust: 

The process began at the largest scale. The house itself was digitally fabricated and panelized, with massive wall sections craned into place on the tight lot. This created a perfect, efficient shell. Inside, we shifted from digital precision to analog texture. The heart of the interior is raw steel, and we weak acid washed every piece on-site to give it a unique, warm patina. The main staircase was conceived as a monolithic sculpture. It was fabricated in a workshop, then carefully craned into the house in a single, dramatic lift to protect the finished walls.

The Human Touch: 

This project was a true symphony of artisans. The complex assembly of the steel staircase was a collaboration with the talented team at Gutierrez Studio. To contrast the hard steel, we brought in the nautical feel of rope for the guardrails, which, along with the custom barstools, were skillfully crafted by Malcolm of Majer Metal Works. The final touch was ours: meticulously installing the warm Hemlock wood railings atop the cool steel structure, a final marriage of materials. Even the exterior cornices were custom fabricated at Openworks, a local Baltimore maker space.

The Lasting Impression: 

The finished Zephyr House is a testament to this blend of techniques. It’s a home where the precision of digital fabrication provides a calm backdrop for the texture and soul of hand-finished steel, wood, and rope. Every surface tells the story of its making and the many hands that touched it, creating a truly unique and deeply personal environment.

Our process integrates architecture and fabrication to create spaces that are as unique and personal as they are precisely built.

Talk to us about your project.